NYJTL and HJTEP Among USTA Serves Awards Grant Recipients

USTA Serves, the national charitable foundation of the United States Tennis Association (USTA), has announced that it has awarded more than $429,000 in grants to 46 community tennis and education organizations during its 2014 spring funding cycle.

Among the recipients is Woodside, N.Y.-based New York Junior Tennis and Learning (NYJTL), one of the largest tennis and education-themed community organizations in the U.S., offering comprehensive school and community based programs throughout New York City’s five boroughs, reaching more than 75,000 youth from ages six through 18.

New York, N.Y.-based Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program Inc. (HJTEP) was another recipient of a USTA Serves grant. Founded in 1972 by Bill Brown and Claude Cargill with the help of benefactors such as Mutual of New York and NBA legend Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, HJTEP’s goal is to bring tennis to youth from high-risk, low-income inner-city neighborhoods and offer opportunities for self-development, while highlighting education and a positive code of behavior.

USTA Serves

The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City was also one of the 46 USTA Serves grant recipients. The Mayor's Fund is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, which facilitates innovative public-private partnerships throughout NYC’s five boroughs.

Also given a grant was the Capital Region Youth Tennis Foundation Inc. from Albany, N.Y.

The grant recipients were chosen by a Grant Proposal Review Committee comprised of USTA Serves board members and USTA Serves national staff, with input from USTA Sections. Grants are awarded primarily to NJTL chapters that successfully combine tennis and education and help children pursue their goals and dreams by leading healthier lives and succeeding in school. To date, USTA Serves has awarded more than $13 million to programs that support its mission.

"We are proud to support some of our nation’s most successful and thriving tennis and education programs, who devote their missions toward servicing others, especially our under-served youth,” said Dan Faber, USTA Serves executive director. “We hope they’re able to use these grants to continue their outstanding work, and as they keep education, health and tennis in the forefront, I look forward to the impact they will have in fostering future leaders and champions.”

The bi-annual grant process, a national initiative of USTA Serves, was established to award NJTL Chapters and other organizations that provide disadvantaged, at-risk children with the opportunity to learn to play tennis and improve their academic skills in a structured format. These programs also strive to help combat childhood obesity by promoting healthy lifestyles.

In addition to the four New York-based grant recipients, the following programs were awarded 2014 grants by USTA Serves:

►An Achievable Dream, Inc. (Newport News, Va.)

►Apple Ridge Farm (Roanoke, Va.)

►Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education Inc. (Philadelphia)

►A’s & Aces Inc. (New Orleans)

►Atlanta Youth Tennis & Education Foundation (Atlanta)

►Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Virginia (Charlottesville, Va.)

►Boys & Girls Clubs of Marin and Southern Sonoma Counties (Petaluma, Calif.)

►Community Partners/DhhEAF (Los Angeles)

►Dallas Tennis Association (Dallas)

►Danbury Grassroots Tennis & Enrichment Program (Danbury, Conn.)

►East Palo Alto Tennis and Tutoring (Palo Alto, Calif.)

►First Serve New Mexico (Santa Fe, N.M.)

►First Serve Oklahoma City Foundation (Oklahoma City, Okla.)

►Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation (Oakland, Calif.)

►Gainesville Area Community Tennis Association (Gainesville, Fla.)

►Greater Enrichment Program Inc. (Charlotte, N.C.)

►Greensboro Tennis Foundation (Greensboro, N.C.)

►Inner City Tennis Clinics Inc. (Painesville, Ohio)

►Jewish Council for Youth Services (Chicago)

►Kedila Family Learning Center (New Orleans)

►King Street Center Inc. (Burlington, Vt.)

►Laredo Tennis Association Inc. (Laredo, Texas)

►Louisville Area 10 and Under Tennis Association (Louisville, Ky.)

►Love to Serve Incorporated (Chicago)

►Lowcountry Youth Tennis Association (Daniel Island, S.C.)

►MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation (Jacksonville, Fla.)

►Milwaukee Tennis and Education Foundation (Milwaukee)

►National Junior Tennis League of Indianapolis (Indianapolis)

►Norwalk Grassroots Tennis (Norwalk, Conn.)

►Prince Georges Tennis and Education Foundation Inc. (Upper Marlboro, Md.)

►Puerto Rico Agricultural Extension Service (San Juan, P.R.)

►Richmond Police Activities League Inc. (Richmond, Calif.)

►St. Paul Urban Tennis Program (St. Paul, Minn.)

►Stephanie Waterman Tennis Foundation (Lenexa, Kan.)

►Tenacity Inc. (Boston)

►Tennis Patrons Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh (Allison Park, Pa.)

►Trident Academy Inc. (Mount Pleasant, S.C.)

►University of Akron Foundation (Akron, Ohio)

►USTA National Junior Tennis League of Trenton Inc. (Trenton, N.J.)

►Washington Tennis & Education Foundation (Washington, D.C.)

►Youth at Heart (Tulsa, Okla.)

►Youth Tennis Advantage (San Francisco)